Title: Momentum: Elastic and Inelastic Collisions
Grade Level: 12
Course: Physics I A
Lesson Overview:
In this lesson students will learn about elastic and inelastic collisions. Through a demonstration of 'happy and unhappy' balls students will see definitive examples of elastic and inelastic collisions. Students will then attempt to use the Law of Conservation of Momentum to explain the behavior of the balls. Students will then participate in a guided inquiry which is designed to lead the students to the observation that the mass of an object is inversely proportional to its velocity after a collision. Students will then use this observation to explain their observation of the balls being dropped. Students will then solve a variety of inelastic collision problems using the Law of Conservation of Momentum. Students will then solve a variety of different inelastic collision problems at home for reinforcement.
Learning Performances
From this lesson students should be able to identify elastic and inelastic collisions and be able to solve various inelastic collision problems.
Links to Standards or Benchmarks
Materials Needed
½ meter sticks
gaping material
tape
marbles – small
marbles – large
momentum inquiry discovery lab
happy/unhappy balls
Time Required
10 min – Opening: Prediction exercise
20 min – Activity: Guided Inquiry Lab
10 min - Enrichment: Law of Conservation of Momentum
20 min - Lesson: Law of Conservation of Momentum
10 min - Closure: Wrap up and Homework
Instructional Sequence
Opening activity activity is designed to activate prior knowledge of momentum. Activity will prompt students to recall velocity’s influence on momentum. Activity will prompt students to recall mass’s influence on momentum. Activity will prompt students to recall the ‘Law of Conservation of Momentum’ Activity will then prompt students to make a hypothesis about 2 balls being dropped from the same height. The balls look exactly the same, one is thrown down with great initial speed. The other is dropped from rest. Predict which ball will bounce higher and why.
Take attendance.
Walk around checking students' understanding.
Use the students answers to recap over momentum.
Ask students for their predictions
Holds up the happy and unhappy balls in front of the class. Shows them that they are the ‘same.’
Asks for a volunteer.
Hand volunteer unhappy ball and tell him to throw the ball down.
Tells class to count to 3 and then teacher and student drop balls simultaneously. Unhappy ball does not bounce. Happy ball does.
Have students analyze their predictions.
Ask "Was momentum conserved with the bouncing ball?"
Ask "Was momentum conserved with the sticking ball?"
Then where did the momentum go?
Have the students table their discussion about this demo for the moment.
Break students into groups.
Pass out materials for guided inquiry.
Students will complete guided inquiry The inquiry will lead the students to the realization that the bigger the mass of the object being hit the less velocity of that object.
Have students report out their discoveries.
Ask how these discoveries could apply to the demo.
Drop the two balls again.
Students come to realization that ball transfers the momentum into earth.
Do calculation of the change in the earths velocity.
(mass of the earth = 5.98 x 10^24)
Teach how to diagram conservation of momentum problems
Teach how to slove inelastic collision problems
Have groups solve inelastic collision problems.
Concluding the Lesson
As a wrap up exercise the students will be asked to revise their earlier prediction of the balls being dropped and to incorporate what they have learned during the days activities.
Assign 4 inelastic collision problems and tell the students to choose 3.
Assessing Student Understanding
The students will be assessed on their ability to solve inelastic collision problems.
Grade Level: 12
Course: Physics I A
Lesson Overview:
In this lesson students will learn about elastic and inelastic collisions. Through a demonstration of 'happy and unhappy' balls students will see definitive examples of elastic and inelastic collisions. Students will then attempt to use the Law of Conservation of Momentum to explain the behavior of the balls. Students will then participate in a guided inquiry which is designed to lead the students to the observation that the mass of an object is inversely proportional to its velocity after a collision. Students will then use this observation to explain their observation of the balls being dropped. Students will then solve a variety of inelastic collision problems using the Law of Conservation of Momentum. Students will then solve a variety of different inelastic collision problems at home for reinforcement.
Learning Performances
From this lesson students should be able to identify elastic and inelastic collisions and be able to solve various inelastic collision problems.
Links to Standards or Benchmarks
Materials Needed
½ meter sticks
gaping material
tape
marbles – small
marbles – large
momentum inquiry discovery lab
happy/unhappy balls
Time Required
10 min – Opening: Prediction exercise
20 min – Activity: Guided Inquiry Lab
10 min - Enrichment: Law of Conservation of Momentum
20 min - Lesson: Law of Conservation of Momentum
10 min - Closure: Wrap up and Homework
Instructional Sequence
Opening activity
activity is designed to activate prior knowledge of momentum. Activity will prompt students to recall velocity’s influence on momentum. Activity will prompt students to recall mass’s influence on momentum. Activity will prompt students to recall the ‘Law of Conservation of Momentum’ Activity will then prompt students to make a hypothesis about 2 balls being dropped from the same height. The balls look exactly the same, one is thrown down with great initial speed. The other is dropped from rest. Predict which ball will bounce higher and why.
Take attendance.
Walk around checking students' understanding.
Use the students answers to recap over momentum.
Ask students for their predictions
Holds up the happy and unhappy balls in front of the class. Shows them that they are the ‘same.’
Asks for a volunteer.
Hand volunteer unhappy ball and tell him to throw the ball down.
Tells class to count to 3 and then teacher and student drop balls simultaneously.
Unhappy ball does not bounce. Happy ball does.
Have students analyze their predictions.
Ask "Was momentum conserved with the bouncing ball?"
Ask "Was momentum conserved with the sticking ball?"
Then where did the momentum go?
Have the students table their discussion about this demo for the moment.
Break students into groups.
Pass out materials for guided inquiry.
Students will complete guided inquiry
The inquiry will lead the students to the realization that the bigger the mass of the object being hit the less velocity of that object.
Have students report out their discoveries.
Ask how these discoveries could apply to the demo.
Drop the two balls again.
Students come to realization that ball transfers the momentum into earth.
Do calculation of the change in the earths velocity.
(mass of the earth = 5.98 x 10^24)
Teach how to diagram conservation of momentum problems
Teach how to slove inelastic collision problems
Have groups solve inelastic collision problems.
Concluding the Lesson
As a wrap up exercise the students will be asked to revise their earlier prediction of the balls being dropped and to incorporate what they have learned during the days activities.
Assign 4 inelastic collision problems and tell the students to choose 3.
Assessing Student Understanding
The students will be assessed on their ability to solve inelastic collision problems.
Sources
1. Explore learning: http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm? <---- stole this site from erin
Demo Lesson - Paul Eval